Refrigerating apparatus



May 25, 1965 G. L. GILBERT 3,185,116

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A TTO/PNE Y United Statesv Patent 3,185,116 REFRIGERATING APPARATUSGordon L. Gilbert, Detroit, Mich., assignor to General MotorsCorporation, Detroit, Mich, a corporation of Delaware Filed Mar. 6,1963, Ser. No. 263,220 1 Claim. (Cl. 108-141) This application relatesto refrigerators and more particularly to an adjustable shelfarrangement in the food storage compartment thereof.

Objects of the present invention are to provide an unusually compactshelf adjusting mechanism for vertically adjusting a shelf within acompartment such as the food storage space of a refrigerator or thelike, without removing the shelf from or extending the same outwardly ofthe compartment.

Another object is to provide a shelf adjusting mechanism including anactuator on one side only of the shelf for moving it into one of aplurality of vertical positions without tilting the shelf.

Still another object is to provide such shelf adjusting mechanism whichis associated with a cantilevered shelf including means in associationtherewith for effecting pivotal movement of the shelf outwardly of thecompartment; and to provide such a shelf adjusting mechanism including asingle knob for actuating the operative parts thereof so as to produce adesired vertical adjustment of the shelf.

Further objects and advantages of the present invention will be apparentfrom the following description, reference being had to the accompanyingdrawings wherein a preferred embodiment of the present invention isclearly shown.

In the drawings:

FIGURE 1 is a view in perspective of a refrigerator cabinet includingthe present invention;

FIGURE 2 is a fragmentary view in front elevation of the presentinvention;

FIGURE 3 is a fragmentary plan view partially broken away of the presentinvention;

FIGURE 4 is a view in vertical section taken along the line 44 of FIGURE3;

FIGURE 5 is a view in vertical section taken along the line 5-5 ofFIGURE 2;

FIGURE 6 is a view in side elevation of the invention; and

FIGURE 7 is a view in horizontal section taken along the line 77 ofFIGURE 6.

Referring now to the drawings, for purposes of illustrating theinvention, a household type refrigerator cabinet 10 is shown in FIGURE 1comprising an outer shell or panel 12 and an inner liner 14 forming thetop, bottom, back and upright side walls of a food storage space 18within the refrigerator cooled by an evaporator of a closedrefrigerating system (not shown). A door 22 normally closes an openingin the front of the refrigerator cabinet.

In FIGURE 1 it can be seen that a plurality of shelves 24 are formed ascantilevers supported at one corner thereof by improved liftingmechanisms and shelf brackets 26 supported on the side wall of the liner14 in an out of the way location in the food storage space 18. Moreparticularly, in the preferred embodiment, each shelf 24 is supported bya bracket or pivot block 28 having fingers 29 directed radiallyoutwardly of the top surface thereof fitting into channels 30 in thebase of the shelf 24 at one corner thereof, as best shown in FIGURES 2and 3, for securing the shelf 24 against tilting with respect to thelifting mechanism and shelf bracket arrangement 26. The pivot block 28is connected to a bracket portion 31 of the lifting mechanism 26 bymeans of a pin 32 extending through aligned openings 33, 34 in the pivotblock 28 and Patented May 25, 1965 bracket 31, respectively, and theblock 28 is recessed at 36 to be freely pivoted relative to the liftingmechanism and shelf bracket 26 whereby the shelf 24 can be swungoutwardly of the food storage compartment 18 as illustrated in FIGURE 1.

Each lifting mechanism and shelf bracket 26 is associated with anelongated, substantially vertically extending rack 38 secured to one ofthe upright side walls of the inner liner 14 adjacent the front of therefrigerator by suitable fastening means such as screws 40 with saidrack having tracks formed at 42, 43 on either side thereofinterlockingly engaged with channel portions 44, 45 in the bracketportion 31 of the lifting mechanism 26 for slidably supporting it forvertical movement therealong.

The lifting mechanism 26 further comprises a knob 46 disposed on thefront face of the bracket 31 in a recess 48 formed therein and a shaft50 connected to and extending from the rear face of the knob beingrotatably supported in the bracket 31 by means of sleeve bearings 52, 54on either end thereof (see FIGURE 5). The intermediate portion of theshaft 50 is formed as a worm gear 56 held in spaced relation with thebracket 31 by means of a spacer 58 rotatably mounted on the shaft 50 andlocated in axial abutment with the bracket 31 and one end of the wormgear 56. The worm gear 56 operatively engages a gear 62 secured to across shaft 64 directed transversely of the bracket 31 having the endsthereof rotatably journalled therein by means of sleeve bearings 66, 68.The outboard end of the shaft 64 is secured to a pinion 70 that engagesteeth 72 on the inside surface of the rack 38, whereby rotation of theknob 46 will drive the gears 56, 62 and pinion 70 to move the bracket 31vertically of the rack 38 so that the cantilevered, nontilting shelf 24secured to the bracket 31 will be moved into one of a plurality ofvertical positions within the food storage compartment 18 depending uponthe desires of an individual user.

The shelf 24 is free to pivot about the shelf bracket 31 of the liftingmechanism 26 throughout the vertical movement of the bracket 31 on therack 38 and in all positions the mounting of the pivot block 28 on thebracket 31 is such that the cantilevered shelf 24 is held againstnontilting relative to a substantially horizontal plane. Thus, food orthe like supported by the adjustable shelf arrangement of the presentinvention is always readily accessible and furthermore, will not tip orspill during the vertical adjustment.

While the embodiment of the present invention, as herein disclosed,constitutes a preferred form, it is to be understood that other formsmight be adopted.

What is claimed is as follows:

A vertically adjustable pivotal shelf structure for use in arefrigerator cabinet comprising, an elongated rack adapted to be fixedlysecured to a side wall of the refrigerator cabinet, a housing slidablysupported on said rack, a shelf cantilevered outwardly from saidhousing, means connecting said shelf to said housing for pivoting saidshelf relative to said housing, said housing having a front face, a knobsupported on said front face, a first shaft rotatably supported by saidhousing having one end thereof fixedly secured to said knob, meansforming an opening interiorly of said housing, actuator means locatedwithin said opening including a Worm element fixedly secured to saidfirst shaft for rotation therewith and a gear having the teeth thereofmeshed with said Worm, a second shaft directed transversely of saidfirst shaft having the ends thereof rotatably supported by said housing,said second shaft being fixedly secured to said gear, said second shafthaving an end extension thereon directed exteriorly of said housing, adrive gear fixedly secured to said shaft extension having the teeththereon meshing with the teeth of said rack whereby upon rotation ofsaid cabinet.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,653,657 12/27Pretsch 108146 X 1,981,680 11/34 Tindale 108-147 X 4 Taylor et a1.108-147 Frank- 108-147 Johnson 108-139 Anderson et a1 108-l41 Topel108139 Richter 108139 Snowman 108141 H FRANK B. SHERRY, PrimaryExaminer.

